A Look at the Nominees for 2014 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year

WNTDec 2, 2014

Here are the five nominees for 2014 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. The winner will be announced live on Saturday, Dec. 6, on Fox Sports 1 during its coverage of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Draw, which will air from 12-1 p.m. ET. Post-draw coverage continues for an additional 30 minutes on FOX Sports 2, and viewers will have access to the full 90-minute Draw Show via the FOX Sports GO app.

2014 Highlights: Holiday has played for the USA at forward, flank midfield and attacking midfielder in her career, but in a testament to her talent and versatility, she was one of the best and most consistent players for the USA this year as her role switched to that of a holding midfielder. She was one of four players to start all five games of the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament and her two goals this year came against Russia and China PR. She earned her 100th career cap on June 14 of this year in a 1-0 victory vs. France. She had a tremendous NWSL season, scoring eight goals with seven assists while leading FC Kansas City to the league title and was named the MVP of the championship game after setting up both goals in the 2-1 win vs. host Seattle Reign.

Previous Honors: Holiday was the 2007 winner of the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year award. She was also nominated for U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2013.

2014 Highlights: Leroux was the third-leading scorer on the U.S. team in 2014 with nine goals and five assists. She opened the year with the game-winner against Canada in a 1-0 victory and was consistently dangerous whether starting or coming off the bench. She scored the USA’s lone goal in a 1-1 tie with Japan at the Algarve, and also scored the team’s lone goals in a 1-1 tie with Canada and a 1-0 victory vs. France. She also scored against Russia, Denmark, China PR and Mexico, and against Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship Final. She scored five goals for the Seattle Reign during NWSL play, helping lead her club to a regular season championship and a berth in the title game.

Previous Honors: Leroux was named U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year in 2011, after previously being nominated for the award on two previous occasions (2009, 2010). She received her first U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year nomination in 2013.

2014 Highlights: Lloyd has been a dynamic two-way midfielder in 2014, and is the second on the U.S. team in 2014 with 10 goals and eight assists, reaching double figures in goals during a calendar year for the second time in her career. She put in a tremendous performance at the CONCACAF Women’s Championship as the only U.S. player to play every minute of the competition while scoring five goals with four assists and was named tournament MVP. Her two goals in a 3-0 semifinal victory vs. Mexico helped the USA clinch its berth to the 2015 Women’s World Cup and she had a goal and two assists in the championship game. In NWSL play, she was the second-leading scorer for the Western New York Flash, finding the net eight times with five assists.

Previous Honors: Lloyd won the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year award in 2008. In addition, she was nominated three other times, including in 2005 for U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year, and in 2012 and 2013 for U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year.

2014 Highlights: In just her second full year of competition with the U.S. Women’s National Team, she is the only player to play in all 20 matches so far while scoring seven times with five assists to keep up her pace of scoring a goal for just over every two matches she’s played. She has shown the ability to score in multiple ways and found the net twice during the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament. She also scored against Russia and Switzerland during the year. Press arrived late to this NWSL season after helping lead her Swedish club Tyresö to the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final, scoring nine Champions League goals during that run after becoming the top scorer in the Damallsvenskan with 23 goals in 2013. In her 12 games with the Chicago Red Stars, she scored six times and played every minute of each match.

Previous Honors: Press was nominated on two previous occasions. She was one of the finalists for the 2010 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year award and in 2013 was nominated for U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year.

Defining Moments: Wambach once again led the USA in scoring, pounding in 14 goals so far including a team-leading seven during the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament. She scored four times – three with her head -- in the final of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship against Costa Rica, and also scored against Russia, Korea DPR, Mexico and Switzerland during the year. She has had four multiple-goal games this year, upping her record to 43games for the USA in which she has scored two or more goals. In NWSL played, she missed numerous games due to injury, starting just 10 matches for the Western New York Flash, but still scored six times with four assists.

2014 Highlights: A six-time winner, Wambach was the 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year. She was also nominated for this honor in 2006, 2009 and 2012.